STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTING SUICIDE AMONG UNDERGRADUATES OF UNIVERSITIES IN EBONYI STATE

Emeka Ifeoma Ejeh (PhD), Paul Ikechukwu Ifere (PhD), Sylvester Nwigwe Ogbueghu (PhD), Uguba Chinyere Otuu

Abstract


The study investigated the strategies for preventing suicide among undergraduates of universities in Ebonyi State. Three research questions guided the study and employed descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consisted sixteen thousand six hundred and ten (16,610) of all the students and some relevant staff of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. The sample size for the study comprised one hundred and fifty (150) students and fifty (50) relevant staff randomly selected from the entire population. Questionnaire was used for data collection. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The research findings revealed that negative self-esteem, depression, self-administration of a psychoactive substance, among others are factors that predisposes students to suicide in universities in Ebonyi State; also that promoting and supporting research on suicide prevention, reducing access to convenient means of suicide among others are the students and school-related strategies for preventing suicide in universities in Ebonyi State. It was recommended among others that seminars/workshops and enlightenment campaigns on depression, self-destructive behaviours and suicide should be organize for students periodically.


Keywords


Strategies, preventing suicide, undergraduate, predispose, depression and staff.

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